Countywide effort aims to install 1,000 smoke alarms

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — The American Red Cross, local firefighters, and volunteers held a countywide effort to install hundreds of smoke alarms in Brunswick County Saturday. This comes after 7 fires occurred in March that claimed the lives of 5 people.

 

Firefighters say once you hear the sound of a smoke alarm you have 2 minutes to get outside of your home. 

 

Fire Marshal Scott Garner says Saturday's goal was to install smoke alarms throughout the Brunswick County community, by "reducing the numbers of homes that have no alarms and reducing the numbers of alarms that aren't working properly."

 

For one residence, the family did not have any smoke alarms, which is why she contacted the Bolivia Fire Department prior to this event to make sure they stopped by and install the devices.

 

Garner said, "We say our goal is 1,000 smoke alarms, but our goal is really to save lives."

 

The resident also said she worked with the family that died in the fire in Supply. 

 

Another goal was to target all of the high risk areas including where there are higher incidents of residential fires. "We also have special teams that are working for the deaf and hard of hearing so they have special alarms or special devices that work the alarms," said Garner. 

 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 100 people in North Carolina died in a fire last year with 60% of all fire-related fatalities occurring in a home without a functional smoke alarm.

 

Garner says if you don't have working smoke alarms, you can call your local fire department or emergency services and they can help you.